Sapta诲惫墨辫补 (2): 艢补办补诲惫墨辫补

Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana

by Chaitali Kadia | 2021 | 91,183 words

This page relates 鈥楽aptadvipa (2): Shakadvipa鈥� of the study on the historical elements of the Matsya-purana: one of the eighteen Mahapuranas which are Sanskrit texts that have preserved the cultural heritage, philosophy, religion, geography, etc of ancient India. This Matsyapurana was originally written in 20,000 verses and deals with topics such as architecture, ancient history, polity, religion and philosophy.

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Sapta诲惫墨辫补 (2): 艢补办补诲惫墨辫补

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The mythological material related to 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 is very important and geographical facts are absolutely complete. The Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 (Chapter 122) gives the detail description about the 诲惫墨辫补 . In this 诲惫墨辫补 there are seven Mountains and seven rivers. The Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 gives them two names. The secret of these two names seems to be that one name is Indian and the other name is foreign (by people of 艢腻办补 ). The 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s have described the island so well that the identification can be done on the basis of it in a completely authentic manner.

According to the Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 the expansion of 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 is twice the extent of the Jambu诲惫墨辫补 and its spread around is also three times the expansion. This island is surrounded by the 尝补惫补峁嘺蝉腻驳补谤 . There are many sacred countries in the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补^[1]. This island also has seven Mountains of white color decorated with beads. There are seven Mountains in the three islands of the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 etc., which are directly spread in all four directions. These are called the 痴补谤峁辫补谤惫补迟补 . The 痴补谤峁辫补谤惫补迟补 named 搁补迟苍腻办补谤腻诲谤颈 is full of high peaks and trees. These islands are spread in all four directions in the magnitude of expansion and have reached one the 碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉腻驳补谤补 and on the other side the 尝补惫补峁嘺蝉腻驳补谤a . The first Mountain among them is called Meru, which is served by Gods, sages and Gandharvas . That golden Mountain is spread in the east direction. Its other name is 鈥�Udayagiri 鈥�. There the clouds come to rain and go after pouring water in its side, there is a huge Mountain called 鈥�Jaladhar 鈥�, full of all the medicines. It is also famous as 鈥�Candra 鈥�.^[2] At the same time there is a great prosperous Mountain named 鈥�狈腻谤补诲补 鈥�, which is also called 鈥�Durgashail 鈥� Mountain. In the past, both 鈥�狈腻谤补诲补 鈥� and 鈥�Durgashail 鈥� Mountains originated here. After that there is a very huge Mountain called 厂丑测腻尘 , where all these species had got to 鈥�厂丑测腻尘ala 鈥� (black) in the past. Similar to this Mountain, there is also a black colored Mountain like Dundubhi , on which in ancient times, the enemies died when the Gods were replaced by Dundubhi . In the end there are clusters of gems in it and it is beautified with seminal trees. After that there is the great 鈥�础蝉迟腻肠补濒补 鈥� which is full of silver. It is also called 鈥�Somaka 鈥�.^[3] Then there is the mah膩parvata called 鈥�膧蝉迟腻肠补濒补 鈥� which is full of silver. It is also called 鈥�膧尘产颈办别测补 鈥� also known as 鈥�厂耻尘补苍腻 鈥�. On this Mountain Lord 痴补谤腻丑补 killed 鈥�贬颈谤峁噛腻办峁 . After the 鈥�膧尘产颈办别测补 鈥� Mountain, it is the most delightful great Mountain, full of all the herbs and spread with crystal rocks. The Mountain is known as 鈥�痴颈产丑谤腻箩补 鈥�. In this Mountain fire is especially stimulated, that is why it is called 鈥�痴颈产丑谤腻箩补 鈥�. This is called 鈥�碍别艣补产补 鈥�. This is where the speed of air starts.^[4]

These are the description of the Mountain on the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 and then there is the description of the 痴补谤峁蝉 . According to the 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 just like there are two names of the Mountains, similarly there are two names of the 痴补谤峁蝉 . The 痴补谤峁 of 鈥�Udayaparvata 鈥� are known as 鈥�Udaya 鈥� and 鈥�Jaladhar 鈥�. The first 鈥�鲍诲补测补惫补谤峁 鈥� in them is named as 鈥�Gatabhaya 鈥�. The second 痴补谤峁 of the 鈥�Jaladhara 鈥� Mountain is called as 鈥�厂耻办耻尘腻谤补 鈥�, which is also known as 鈥�艢补颈艣颈谤补 鈥�. The name of the 痴补谤峁 of the 鈥�狈腻谤补诲补 鈥� Mountain is 鈥�碍补耻尘腻谤补 鈥�. This is also called as 鈥�Sukhodaya 鈥�. The 惫补谤峁 of the 鈥�艢测腻尘补 鈥� Mountain is called 鈥�础苍墨肠补办谤补 鈥�. The same prosperous 惫补谤峁 is also called 鈥�膧苍补苍诲补办补 鈥�. The 惫补谤峁 of famous Mountain 鈥�Somaka 鈥� should be known as 鈥�Kusumotkara 鈥�. The 惫补谤峁 with the same name 鈥�Somaka 鈥� is also called 鈥�Asita 鈥�. The 惫补谤峁 of the 鈥�Ambikeya 鈥� Mountain is famous as 鈥�惭补颈苍腻办补 鈥� and 鈥�碍峁尘补办补 鈥�. Name of the seventh 惫补谤峁 of the 鈥�碍别艣补谤补 鈥� Mountain is 鈥�痴颈产丑谤腻箩补 鈥� which is also named 鈥�Dhruva 鈥�.^[5]

The extent and breadth of the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 is greater than the size of the 鈥�Jambu诲惫墨辫补 鈥�. In the central part of this 诲惫墨辫补 there is a great plant called 艢补办补 .^[6] This 诲惫墨辫补 has very beautiful countries rich with all the four 惫补谤峁嘺 (Catur惫补谤峁嘺 ) species. There are also seven rivers, which lastly join to the sea in the each 惫补谤峁 and all the river are of two names. Only seven types of the 骋补苍驳腻 are told. The holy and prosperous first 骋补苍驳腻 is called as 鈥�厂耻办耻尘腻谤颈 鈥�. This is also famous as 鈥�Anutapta 鈥�. The second 骋补苍驳腻 is 鈥�Tapahsiddh膩厂耻办耻尘腻谤颈 鈥�. This river is also famous as 鈥�Sati 鈥�. The third 骋补苍驳腻 is famous as 鈥�狈补苍诲腻 鈥� and 鈥�笔腻惫补苍墨 鈥�. The fourth 骋补苍驳腻 is 鈥�艢颈产颈办腻 鈥�, is also called 鈥�顿惫颈惫颈诲丑腻 鈥�. 鈥�滨办峁 鈥� should be considered as the fifth 骋补苍驳腻 . Similarly, it is also called 鈥�碍耻丑奴 鈥�. Sixth 骋补苍驳腻 is famous as 鈥�痴别峁嘘办腻 鈥� and 鈥�础尘峁泃腻 鈥�. The seventh 骋补苍驳腻 is called 鈥�厂耻办峁泃腻 鈥� and 鈥�骋补产丑补蝉迟墨 鈥�. These seven 骋补苍驳腻s , full of well-being and great fortune, purify all the creatures of all the 惫补谤峁s of the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 . Others big rivers and lakes also originate from these 骋补苍驳腻s streams, due to which all these are inflowing water.^[7] 厂腻苍迟补尘补测补 鈥�, 鈥�Pramoda 鈥�, 鈥�艢颈惫补 鈥�, 鈥�膧苍补苍诲补 鈥�, 鈥�Sukha 鈥�, 鈥�碍峁尘补办补 鈥� and 鈥�Nava 鈥欌€搕hese are the seven famous countries on the river banks.

Apart from the Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 , there is much information about 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 almost in the other 笔耻谤腻峁嘺s . In the 叠丑补惫颈峁补笔耻谤腻峁嘺 , significant information is available about the people living in the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 .

The 叠丑补惫颈峁补笔耻谤腻峁嘺 states that four castes resided in this island, which can be considered representative of 鈥�Catur惫补谤峁嘺s 鈥� of India鈥�

tatra p奴峁噛膩 janapad膩艣catur惫补谤峁嘺samanvit膩岣� |
mag膩艣ca magag膩艣caiva g膩nag膩 mandag膩stath膩 ||
mag膩岣� br膩hma峁嘺bh奴yi峁ａ弓h膩 magag膩岣� k峁triy膩岣� sm峁泃膩岣� |
vai艣y膩stu g膩nag膩 j帽ey膩岣� 艣奴dr膩ste峁Ｄ佱箖 tu mandag膩岣� ||鈥�Bhavisya (1/139)

On the basis of this information of the 叠丑补惫颈峁补笔耻谤腻峁嘺 , the castes of the 艢腻办补诲惫墨辫补 are divided into four 惫补谤峁嘺s 鈥�Magha is 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 , Magaga is 碍峁迟谤颈测补 , 骋补苍驳腻 is 痴补颈艣测补 and Mandaga is 艢耻诲谤补.

The names of these people are somewhat different in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 鈥�

tatra 辫耻峁噛腻箩补苍补辫补诲腻艣肠补迟惫腻谤辞 loka-sammit膩岣� |
mag膩艣ca ma艣ak膩艣caiva m膩nas膩 mandag膩stath膩 ||
鈥�惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 (6/12/33)

This statement given in the 惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补 indicates that although he first and last name are similar to the Matsya Pu膩峁嘺 , the middle two nations have different names. The text 鈥�惭补峁办腻 鈥� is found in place of 鈥�Magaga 鈥� and 鈥�惭腻苍补蝉腻 鈥� in place of 鈥�骋补苍驳腻 鈥�. On the other hand, the Sun was the most venerable deity of the 艢补办补 nation.